Peugeot bakkie too slow to threaten Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger

The original Peugeot bakkie was known as the Lion of Africa. Well at least I think they were. I mean why let the truth get in the way of a good story?

Fast forward many years and here we are in 2022 driving the latest Lion on offer in the form of the Peugeot Landtrek, but now with a bit of a Chinese twist. How the world has changed!

The French and Peugeot part of the Landtrek is mostly good. And I said that when I got my first drive in one. The Peugeot bakkie has styling that is easy on the eye and attracted plenty attention. Plus a high level of spec with cameras front and back, and a ride quality that wasn’t too bad.

Powering the Peugeot bakkie

There is no way to sugar coat this part of the Peugeot bakkie experience. But unfortunately for a top-of-the-range 4Action 4×4 offering that comes in at R669 600, it is horribly let down by its engine.

Manufactured by Chinese powertrain company, Kunming Yunnei, it produces 110 kW of power and 350 Nm of torque. But this lack of power is not completely to blame for everything.

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The Peugeot bakkie sounds somewhat agricultural in this modern age of refinement, and there is turbo lag, lots, and lots of it. Mashing your foot into the carpet barely elicits a response from the powertrain. The Landtrek unfortunately inherits the title of the slowest car off the line that I have ever tested.

It needs a full 2.33 seconds to get to 20 km/h. That is a lot of time from the moment you decide to cross the road to the point you actually start to cross the road.

On the boil the Peugeot bakkie was not too bad, but get stuck below 2 000 rpm and you will take almost 14 seconds to get from 80 to 120 km/h.

It took 16.39 seconds to reach 100 km/h from a standstill, making it over four seconds slower than the top offerings in the stables of the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger and Nissan Navara, models which all equipped with bigger and more powerful engines.

Conclusion

I would hate to think what would happen if you had to try and tow three-plus tons. And I know owning a double cab is not all about how fast it is, but this lack of power and response mars what could be a much better Peugeot bakkie.

One day when the Chinese put some proper engines into their offerings, they could become a real threat to established bakkies like Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Isuzu D-Max and Nissan Navara.

Road test data

Model: Peugeot Landtrek 4Action 4×4 Double Cab

Gearbox: 6-Speed Automatic Transmission

Engine: 1.9-litre Turbodiesel

Power: 110 kW @ 4 000 rpm

Torque: 350 Nm @ 1 800 – 3 800 rpm

Licensing Mass: 2 095 kg

Power to Weight: 53 kW / Tonne

Power to Capacity: 58 kW / Litre

0-100 km/h: 16.39 Seconds

1/4 Mile (402.34 m): 20.61 Seconds @ 110.47 km/h

1/2 Mile (804.68 m): 32.07 Seconds @ 132.77 km/h

1 Km (1000 m): 37.08 Seconds @ 139.21 km/h

60-100 km/h: 9.98 Seconds (in Drive Sport)

80-120 km/h: 13.65 Seconds (in Drive Sport)

60- 140 km/h: 29.56 Seconds (in Drive Sport)

Claimed Top Speed: 171 km/h

Fuel Consumption: 9.1 L/100 km Claimed (10.5 L Test Average)

Fuel Tank Size: 80 litres

Fuel Range: 879 km Claimed (762 km on Test)

CO2 Emissions: 239 g/km

Vehicle Odometer: 3 736 Km

Test Temperature: 21 Degrees

Tyres Size: 265/60 R18

Tyres Make: Goodyear Wrangler

Warranty: 5 Year/100 000 km

Service Plan: 5 Year/100 000 km

Priced From: R669 600

Test Date: 7 January 2022

For more information on the Peugeot Landtrek, click here.